The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-15
DRINKS FOR THE CROWD.
AMERICANS BECOMING A NATION
OF BEER GUzZLERS.

The Consumption Per Capita of the
Foaming Beverage on the Increase
A Falling OFF in the Use of Other
Intoxicants- s-$7OO, 100000 Per Year
Spent by American Indulgers.
WASHINGTON, April 14.-Twenty or more
pages of the quarterly report of the Chief
of the Bureau of Statistics Gust OUT are de-
voted to the consumption of distilled and
malt LIQUORS and wines, and estimates made
by recognized authorities are given upon
various features Of this subject. In round
numbers the consumption of distilled spirits,
domestic and imported, in this country is
shown to have increased from Il, 900, 900 gal
Ions in 1910 to 1900, 900 in 1886; of wines
from 800, 900 gallons TO -, 1000, 900, and of
malt liquors from 23,000,0O0 to 6I2, 600.
The consumption per capita during the same
period decreased, as regards distilled spirits.
from about two and half gallons to about
one and a quarter gallons; and increased, as
regards wines, from twentv-nine-hun-
dredths to thirty eight hundredths gallons;
and malt liquors from less than one and a
half to more than eleven gallons. An elab-
crate statement made by F. n. Barrett, edi-
tor of the New York Grocer, by request Of
the chief of the bureau, is given, which sets
forth among other things that the present
| average expenditure in this country per an
mum for malt and spirituous liquors and beer
at retail is 500. 100000. The drinking popu-
lation is estimated TO be i'll 1856 1925 ~,
making the average expenditure per capita
SO 90
MILDER STIMULANTs IN FAVOR
Mr.. Barrett shows by tables covering five
years, from 1892 to 1886 inclusive, that the
consumption of spirits is decreasing while
that of beer is increasing, and that there is
reduced use of wine as beverage. During
this period" he says, Hthe consumption of
coffee has risen from eight and tw0-tenths
pounds per capita to nine and eleven
hundredths pounds Do not these facts
show that milder stimulants are driv-
ing out their competitors And is it not
due TO the growing agitation of the temper
ance question: Mr.. Barrett says the
wholesale cost of liquors for which retailers
! receive 800, 600 900 is not more than $500,
000,000 He makes a brief calculation of
| the cost of liquors as compared with that of
food, clothing and shelter, reaching the con
clusion that the American people expend
from $12 to SIT for the 'neceSsaries" named
to every dollar paid out for liquor.
A COMPARISON BIZ COUNTRIES.
James A. Webb, of New York, furnishes
| StHttlHellJ 10 Tue ell6ct tldl only ~ per
cent. of the distilled spirits consumed in
this country are used for medicine and man
ufacturing purposes, 30 per cent. being used
| as a beverage. From a table covering the
| five years ending with 1885 it is learned that
the consumption of distilled spirits per
capita has steadily increased in France from
ninety-four hundredths gallons to one and
| thirty two hundreths; that it has
varied in this country between one
and forty-six one-hundredths in 1885
and one and twenty-four hundredths gallons
in 1884 and 1885; that the United Kingdom
| consumes a little more than a gallon per
| capita and that the consumption in Germany
has decreased from one and thirty two hun
dredths in 1881 to one and fourteen hun
dredths in 1885. France during the same
period increased her wine consumption from
eighteen and half to nearly thirty
gallons, while this country and the United
Kingdom, beginning with less than half a
gallon her head, show slight falling off. In
the matter of beer consumption during this
period the United States increased her aver
age from a little less than ten TO a little
more than eleven gallons The United King
dom held her own at about thirty three gal
Ions, and Germany did the same at about
twenty-three gallons.